Calcutta: Monty Panesar’s rise up the LG ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers continues apace following another top performance in the fourth Test against the West Indies. According to an ICC media release, the 25-year-old has moved into the top-ten for the first time in his career and is now the highest rated England spinner since Derek Underwood in 1977.

Panesar took 23 wickets at an average of 18.69 in the four-match series concluded recently. He moved up six more places to be joint-sixth in the world along with England teammate Matthew Hoggard, who himself gained two places having taken five wickets in the match.

Currently on 721 ratings points, the slow left-armer still has some way to go to being the top-rated England spinner of all time, however. That honour remains with Surrey legend Tony Lock, who reached 912 ratings points during a home series against the New Zealand in 1958.

TEST RANKINGS

Teams — 1. Australia (135), 2. England (114), 3. Pakistan (108), 4. India (107), 5. Sri Lanka (102), 6. South Africa (102), 7. New Zealand (93), 8. West Indies (72), 9. Zimbabwe (28), 10. Bangladesh (1)

Batsmen — 1. Ricky Ponting (Aus, 936), 2. Mohammed Yousuf (Pak, 915), 3. Kevin Pietersen (Eng, 862), 4. Kumar Sangakkara (SL, 857), 5. Mike Hussey (Aus, 842*), 6. Matthew Hayden (Aus, 828), 7. Jacques Kallis (SA, 820), 8. Rahul Dravid (Ind, 801), 9. Younis Khan (Pak, 789), 10. Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI, 762).

Bowlers — 1. Muttiah Muralidharan (SL, 913), 2. Makhaya Ntini (SA, 856), 3=Anil Kumble (Ind, 730) & Shaun Pollock (SA, 730), 5. Shane Bond (NZ, 722*), 6=Matthew Hoggard (Eng, 721) & Monty Panesar (Eng, 721*), 8. Stuart Clark (Aus, 720*), 9. Mohammed Asif (Pak, 710*), 10. Shoaib Akhtar (Pak, 698).

Allrounders — 1. Jacques Kallis (SA, 462), 2. Andrew Flintoff (Eng, 384), 3. Shaun Pollock (SA, 356), 4. Daniel Vettori (NZ, 329), 5. Chaminda Vaas (SL, 253).

Note: * indicates provisional rating; a batsman qualifies for a full rating after playing 40 Test innings, a bowler qualifies after reaching 100 wkts